Baltimore County set to open first environmentally-based public charter school

Baltimore County set to open first environmentally-based public charter school

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Updated: 5:41 PM EST Dec 21, 2018

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WEBVTT >> JUST HAVING THE PROPERTY UTILIZED IN A DIFFERENT WAY IS A GREAT VISION. TIM: FATHER THOMAS PHILLIPS IS HAPPY TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE WATERSHED PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL ON THE GROUNDS OF SAINT GABRIEL'S CATHOLIC CHURCH ON DOGWOOD ROAD IN NORTHWEST BALTIMORE COUNTY. >> WE WANT TO BE OF SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR YOUTH ARE PROPERLY EDUCATED. TIM: IT’S A MATCH DRIVEN BY THE WILL OF DETERMINED PARENTS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT FOR THEIR CHILDREN. >> WE HAVE REALLY PRIORITIZED CHILDREN SPENDING TIME OUTSIDE, NOT JUST SPENDING TIME OUTSIDE, BUT HANDS ON EDUCATION, DOING, LEARNING THINGS BY ACTUALLY TOUCHING THEM AND INTERACTING WITH THEM. TIM: AND THAT MAY HELP TO EXPLAIN THE NAME, WATERSHED, A K-8 SCHOOL WITH A CURRUICULM THAT LINKS THE CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE WITH WHAT STUDENTS CAN SEE AND TOUCH IN NATURE. TIM: IT TURNS OUT THERE’S A SMALL STREAM THAT RUNS ALONG THE SCHOOL PROPERTY JUST OFF DOGWOOD ROAD. >> THE GREATEST THING THAT STICKS OUT TO ME IS THIS IDEA OF HAVING A WORKING FARM AT A SCHOOL, STARTING WITH A MICRO FARM AND BUILDING IT TO A FULL FARM THAT THE KIDS CAN PARTICIPATE IN. >> WE’VE COMBINED ALL THE SUBJECTS INTO BIG THEMATIC UNITS WHERE ALL OF THE DISCIPLINES WORK TOGETHER INSTEAD OF BEING IN SEPARATE BOXES. TIM: WATERSHED WILL START OUT WITH 170 STUDENTS, AND ADD ANOTHER GRADE EACH YEAR. TIM: TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BALTIMORE COUNTY’S NEW PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL, GO TO OUR WBAL-TV 11 APP. LIVE IN THE 11 NEWSROOM, TIM TOOTEN, WBAL-TV ELEVEN

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Baltimore County set to open first environmentally-based public charter school

Baltimore County is set to open its first environmentally-based public charter school.The Watershed Public Charter School is founded with the idea of helping students learn beyond the traditional classroom.WBAL-TV 11 News first reported about this public charter school in 2017 when it was just a proposal, but after clearing quite a few hurdles, the school will open to students in September.Monsignor Thomas Phillips is happy to make room for the Watershed Public Charter School on the grounds of St. Gabriel's Catholic Church on Dogwood Road in northwest Baltimore County."Just having the property utilized in a different way is just a great vision," Phillips said. "We want to be of service to the community and to make sure that our youth are properly educated."It's a match driven by the will of determined parents looking for something very different for their children."We have really prioritized children spending time outside, not just spending time outside, but hands-on education, doing, learning things by actually touching them and interacting with them," said Jessie Lehson, the school's executive director.Watershed is a K-through-eighth-grade school with a curriculum that links the classroom experience with what students can see and touch in nature. It turns out there's a small stream that runs along the school property."The greatest thing that sticks out to me is this idea of having a working farm at a school, starting with a micro farm and building it to a full farm that the kids can participate in," said Ashlee Johnson, a parent of a Watershed student."We've combined all the subjects into big, thematic units where all of the disciplines work together instead of being in separate boxes," Lehson said.Watershed will start with 170 students and another grade each year.

WOODLAWN, Md. —

Baltimore County is set to open its first environmentally-based public charter school.

Monsignor Thomas Phillips is happy to make room for the Watershed Public Charter School on the grounds of St. Gabriel's Catholic Church on Dogwood Road in northwest Baltimore County.

"Just having the property utilized in a different way is just a great vision," Phillips said. "We want to be of service to the community and to make sure that our youth are properly educated."

It's a match driven by the will of determined parents looking for something very different for their children.

"We have really prioritized children spending time outside, not just spending time outside, but hands-on education, doing, learning things by actually touching them and interacting with them," said Jessie Lehson, the school's executive director.

Watershed is a K-through-eighth-grade school with a curriculum that links the classroom experience with what students can see and touch in nature. It turns out there's a small stream that runs along the school property.

"The greatest thing that sticks out to me is this idea of having a working farm at a school, starting with a micro farm and building it to a full farm that the kids can participate in," said Ashlee Johnson, a parent of a Watershed student.

"We've combined all the subjects into big, thematic units where all of the disciplines work together instead of being in separate boxes," Lehson said.